In this podcast episode, Michael Leung, COO of Spect discusses the low rate of annual eye exams among patients with diabetes compared to other screening programs. SPECT is a company that provides accessible eye care through a platform that allows healthcare workers to perform eye screenings anywhere. The second part of the podcast features an interview with David Williams, the CEO of Care3, a digital health equity company. Care3 helps individuals and their families manage complex health situations by providing personalized care plans and facilitating communication and task management. Care3 aims to promote health equity by addressing the non-medical factors that impact health outcomes and providing equal access to healthcare.

In this episode, two companies focused on women's health and wellness are featured. The first company, Expect, is a streaming fitness platform specifically designed for pregnancy and postnatal fitness. The workouts on Expect are approved by OBGYNs and aim to improve outcomes for both mothers and babies. The founder, Dara Cook, discusses the importance of maternal fitness and the need to make it accessible to all women, especially women of color who are disproportionately affected by maternal mortality rates. The second company, Wolomi, is a digital platform that provides support and resources for women of color during their pregnancy and motherhood journey. The founder, Layo George, emphasizes the importance of creating a safe space for moms and addressing maternal mental health. Both companies are working towards promoting health equity and overcoming challenges such as fundraising and partnering with health plans.

Kike Oduba, MD - Founder & CEO, WellnessWits:

“I'm a physician entrepreneur and I'm also a mom of three, have navigated the healthcare system through my own personal health challenges for my family and friends, and so I am passionate about health equity, closing gaps in care. I'm also passionate about helping people with chronic diseases not to have to suffer too long in silence or in silo.”

Episode Summary

Vanessa Villaverde, Senior Program Investor at the California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF) Innovation Fund, discusses her work in creating pathways for underinvested founders in the healthcare industry. She emphasizes the need for more diversity and inclusion in digital health and highlights the challenges faced by founders of color in accessing venture capital.

Do you know what your best life is? 

Do you know what it looks like? Can you see it? Can you envision it? Can you feel it, taste it, touch it? If you don’t know, then you’re not close to living your best life. You have an inner power–an untapped, infinite potential–that if unleashed, will change your life and the lives of those around you.

Is it enough just to live? When you’re in a challenging situation of ANY kind, but especially a personal health and/or family care challenge, is it enough for you just to live? Or do you want to BE ALIVE? Don’t you want to THRIVE? Not simply survive.  To BE ALIVE, what are you willing to do? You have to GIVE what it takes….